Electric guitars are well-known. Electric guitars can be broadly classified into two general types. One type is the solid body electric guitar. Ordinarily, solid body electric guitars must be used with electronic amplification in order to provide satisfactory listening volume. This is because solid body electric guitars lack a resonating chamber and soundboard, both of which are necessary to provide sufficient volume for use without electronic amplification.
The other type of electric guitar is the hollow body electric guitar. Some hollow body electric guitars can be played without electronic amplification and still provide enough volume to be heard, at least in limited applications. Although some hollow body electric guitars can be played without electronic amplification, the volume produced thereby can be less than optimal because the resonating chambers and soundboards of hollow body electric guitars are generally not optimized for acoustic playing.
Typically, solid body electric guitars are substantially less susceptible to feedback than hollow body electric guitars. Indeed, the resistance of solid body electric guitars to feedback provided motivation for the development of solid body electric guitars.
Acoustic guitars, which may lack any electronic amplification whatsoever, are also well-known. Such acoustic guitars generally provide sufficient volume for use in small, acoustically suitable venues. Thus, acoustic guitars are frequently used without electronic amplification. When electronic amplification is desired, a microphone may be used to pick up sound from an acoustic guitar. A public address (PA) amplifier may then be used to electronically amplify the sound from the acoustic guitar to a desired volume.
Acoustic guitars which have been modified, so as to facilitate direct (without the use of a microphone) electronic amplification, are also known. Typically, a piezoelectric or other type of transducer is attached to the bridge or soundboard of an acoustic guitar to facilitate such electronic amplification.
Thus, acoustic guitars and hollow body electric guitars (at least in some instances), are suitable for being played without electronic amplification. It is also desirable to play a solid body guitar without electronic amplification. Some solid body guitars have bevels or contours which allow the guitar to conform somewhat to a person's body. Contoured solid body guitars are typically smaller in size and more comfortable to play than either hollow body electric guitars or acoustic guitars. Further, many guitar players prefer the look and feel of a solid body guitar. However, as mentioned above, contemporary solid body electric guitars are not suitable for such non-amplified use, because without electronic amplification they provide insufficient volume.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a solid body acoustic guitar which is adequate for playing without electronic amplification. It is also desirable to provide such a guitar which is suitable for use with electronic amplification and which generally duplicates the feedback resistance of contemporary solid body guitars.